How do people come up with ideas? Where do they come from? Where can you go to be inspired? What do you do with them?

1. Great Ideas From
Unlikely Places
Or…..how do people generate and track ideas?
Heather Braum, NEKLS
Innovation Day 2014

2. Brainstorming?

3. Ideas?

4. Inspiration?

5. Creativity?

6. ACTIVITY

7. Write down 5 sources/places/
methods YOU get ideas from
Sources: Baby http://goo.gl/rytRn; Peeps http://goo.gl/a0vEq; Puzzle http://goo.gl/L1Igz; Jessamyn http://goo.gl/yUxsd

8. I’m inspired by…
1. My online networks
2. Readings
3. Conversation
4. Lectures
5. Asking questions
6. TED Talks
7. Bad experiences
8. Listening
9. Connecting ideas
10. Lightning bolts

9. My peeps are
inspired by…
1. Pinterest
2. Conferences
3. Commercials
4. Colleagues
5. Stanford Design
School website
6. Experience+Necessity
+Enviornment
7. My Father
8. That place between
awake and asleep
9. Thinking/Dreaming

10. My peeps are
inspired by…
10. Sharing ideas
11. Building off of others’
ideas
12. Learning from
mistakes
13. Successful retail
14. Listening to
communities
15. Other libraries
16. Library innovation labs
17. connecting ideas
18. EVERYTHING!

11. My peeps are
inspired by…
18. Poughkeepsie,
NY (Michael
Sauers/Harlan
Ellison)
19. Not everything
has to be positive to
be an inspiration

12. Your Idea
Sources?

13. YouTube: Where Do You Get Your
Ideas From? (Neil Gaiman)
http://goo.gl/AR0GNP

14. Neil Gaiman
1.“I make them up; out of
my head”
2.Daydreaming
3.“What if…”
4.“If only….”
5.“I wonder…”
6.“If This Goes On…”
7.“Wouldn’t it be
interesting if…”
8.Qs into more Qs
9.Ideas coming together
Source: Where do you get your ideas? http://goo.gl/iEu6E7

15. Seth Godin
1.“Ideas occur when
dissimilar
universes collide”
2.“[ideas] adore
beginner’s mind”
3. “Ideas come in
spurts”
4.“Ideas come from
trouble”
Source: Where do ideas come from? http://goo.gl/sVZ2R1

16. “Ideas don’t need a passport,
and often cross borders (of
all kinds) with impunity”
— Seth Godin,
Where do ideas come from?
http://goo.gl/sVZ2R1

17. “An idea must come from somewhere,
because if it merely stays where it is
and doesn’t join us here, it’s hidden.
And hidden ideas don’t ship, have no
influence, no intersection withe
market. They die, alone.”
— Seth Godin,
Where do ideas come from?
http://goo.gl/sVZ2R1

18. Other Sources
of Inspiration

19. Gilbert Ross
1.The Web of ideas
2.Unconventional
people with
unconventional
stories
3.Shifting Focus
4.Nature
5.Play/relax/fun
6.Doodling/word
association
7.Self-talk/auto
suggestions
Source: Finding Your Muse: 8 Great Sources for Creative Inspiration http://goo.gl/hfytUr

20. TED Talks
Source: http://goo.gl/mTa7H

21. WebJunction
Source: www.webjunction.org

22. Pinterest
Source: www.webjunction.org

23. Twitter
Source: https://twitter.com/hbraum/favorites

24. Library As Incubator
Source: www.libraryasincubatorproject.org

25. Crazy Places
Source: http://goo.gl/EUU4Q

26. LibraryYOU
Source: http://goo.gl/me7bW

27. Listening…Talking
Source: http://goo.gl/af7wL

28. The Future
Source: http://goo.gl/usWkan & http://goo.gl/6IIYcA

29. Any Additions?

30. What do you do
with the ideas?

31. Strategies
1. Old-fashioned “idea”
notebook
2. Sticky notes
3. Evernote
4. Have a place!
5. Voicemails
6. Share ideas — add
ideas together —
connect them!
7. Give up ownership
8. Be ready to FAIL

32. Pursuit of
Elegance
1.limited resources
spark creativity
and innovation
2.RELAX
3.Wait to add/act
4.Observe
5.Think/Not Think
6.“Jump in mud
puddles and scream
your head off”
Source: In Pursuit of Library Elegance notes http://goo.gl/1SvPwY

33. Change your
Perspective
XI + I = X
Source: In Pursuit of Library Elegance notes http://goo.gl/1SvPwY

34. Change your
Perspective
X = I + IX
Source: In Pursuit of Library Elegance notes http://goo.gl/1SvPwY

35. Caleb Wojcik
1. (Get Ideas)
2. Document
3. Organize
4. Cull/Weed
5. Execute
Source: Where Do Great Ideas Come From? http://goo.gl/e6PRTx

36. YouTube: Where Good Ideas
Come From (Steven Johnson)
http://goo.gl/6uG5pl

37. Source: http://goo.gl/IQB9Cn

38. Contact Me
• hbraum@nekls.org
• @hbraum on Twitter